A hunter walks along a treeline in the State Game Area in Schnecksville on Monday during the first day of firearms deer season. (MORNING CALL FILE PHOTO)

As a lifelong sportsman and one who has seen the number of hunters decline substantially over the past decade, Bob Schwalm of Fountain Hill is excited about some of the recent movement when it comes to creating new opportunities to get both kids and adults more involved in the sport.

At its quarterly meeting this past week, the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Board of Commissioners gave preliminary approval to changing the opening day of the firearms deer season — the state’s most popular hunting season — from its traditional Monday after Thanksgiving to the Saturday following the holiday. It’s a move that many individuals feel will provide additional opportunities to get people afield, as well as possibly help pave the way for serious consideration for allowing Sunday hunting.

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“I’m in favor of a Saturday opener because I believe it would create opportunities for both young and old hunters to participate in hunting,” Schwalm said. “If the declining [hunter] numbers aren’t frightening enough then let’s consider the average age of a hunter today — it is 50 years old. We as hunters and conservationists need to stop the bleeding right now. We all need to recruit, reactivate and retain hunters if hunting is going to survive.”

Roger Wanamaker, president of the 5,000-member Ontelaunee Rod & Gun Club in New Tripoli, shares similar sentiments when it comes to opening deer season on a Saturday.

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“My own personal opinion is I think it’s a good idea. It will give some of the youngsters an extra day or two to hunt,” Wanamaker said. “My friends all pretty much agree with me on that.”

If approved, the 2019 firearms deer season would open Sat., Nov. 30, and run through Sat., Dec. 14.

The state Senate’s Game & Fisheries Committee is set to take the first step in considering a change to the longstanding ban on Sunday hunting when the board meets 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Harrisburg. The national Sportsmen’s Alliance reports the committee is expected to vote on the bill during the meeting.

While many sportsmen would welcome a Saturday opener, it’s a topic that has prompted a wide range of opinions. Northampton County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs President Mike Topping notes his group has not taken an official position yet.

“I know some people are concerned that anything we do to encourage New Jersey hunters to come into Northampton County to hunt has some NCFSC members upset,” Topping said. “On the state level, many of the hunting camp owners like things the way they are so that they have time to open up their camps before the Monday opening day. If we get Sunday hunting, I think a Sunday opener might make more sense.”

While the firearms deer season change is a hot topic among sportsmen, there’s also been movement on the Sunday hunting front as well. It’s an issue that arises every few years, but has made little progress, in large part because it’s a divisive topic, even among hunters.

In the Keystone Sate, only foxes, coyotes and crows may be pursued on Sundays, and Pennsylvania is one of only three states in the nation — the other two being Maine and Massachusetts — that do not permit hunting for game on Sundays.

While the PGC has come out in favor of Sunday hunting, the decision to allow it lies with the state legislature. Although past efforts to move Sunday hunting bills through the legislature have gone nowhere, Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) on Friday introduced SB147, which would give the Game Commission the authority to institute Sunday hunting. The bill, which is co-sponsored by Sen. James Brewster (D- Allegheny and Westmoreland), is also supported by Sen. Sharif Street and Gene Yaw.

“There are many reasons that I feel we should allow Sunday hunting,” said Laughlin, chair of the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee. “The number-one reason people are not able to get out hunting is a lack of free time. This is true with our youth as well, and they are the future of this sport.

“It is widely known that most folks that hunt start out hunting with a parent. We are losing wide swaths of potential hunters by continuing this archaic Blue Law. There is also the personal freedom side of this argument; why does anyone have the authority to tell a citizen what they can or cannot do just because it’s Sunday?”

While past efforts to move Sunday hunting bills have failed, Laughlin noted there may be more backing for the initiative this time around.

“We already have all four [Game & Fisheries Committees] chairmen on board and lined up; that has never happened before,” he said. “We also have so much more grassroots support. We have Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, most of the national sportsmen groups, and we are now gathering support from most of the blue-collar trade unions.”

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While many sportsmen’s groups back Sunday hunting, a number of organizations have also spoken out against the concept including the 62,000-member Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. The bureau has a long-standing position that opposes any expansion of Sunday hunting opportunities.

Farm Bureau Media & Strategic Communications Director Mark O’Neill said farmers oppose Sunday hunting for a variety of reasons. Among these are they want to use Sundays for family activities on their property, make repairs and do chores, or simply have a day off from having hunters on their land.

“Farmers already deal with the hassle of engaging with some hunters, who violate the law by hunting on farm property without permission,” O’Neill said. “Many farmers are concerned that any expansion of the Sunday hunting law would likely increase the number of illegal hunters on their land.”

As for Saturday hunting, O’Neill noted the bureau is in favor of it.

“Pennsylvania Farm Bureau already has policy that supports allowing the rifled deer hunting season to open on the Friday and/or Saturday following Thanksgiving, as long as there is no attempt to expand the season to hunting on Sunday,” he said.

“There are a variety of reasons the hiking community opposes Sunday hunting, but by far the biggest reason is fear of being in the woods when hunters are also present,” said Joe Neville, executive director of KTA, which represents 6,000 individuals and hiking clubs.

According to Neville, a 2017 Game Commission survey showed only 53 percent of hunters supported Sunday hunting at that time.

“So, 53 percent of 800,000 hunters out of 12.8 million Pennsylvanians means only slightly over three percent of Pennsylvanians support this issue,” Neville said. “So why is this even being considered?”

Schwalm, who’s in favor of creating Sunday hunting opportunities, said the combination of opening up deer season on a Saturday and also providing Sunday hunting would be beneficial in getting young people involved in the sport, especially when you consider all the other activities that are competing for their interests. He cites his two nephews as an example.

“Both boys are involved in football, baseball and basketball and their parents aren’t opposed to hunting; however, they will not allow the boys to take off of from school to go hunting,” Schwalm said. “Research has shown that if you don’t introduce young people at an early age between the ages 8-14, you’ll pretty much lose those kids forever.